If You Love It, Set It Free

During the Mets' current era of good feelings, you'd think no one worried about the Mets' starting pitching depth.

The last few turns through the rotation ended well, with Pelfrey's impressive outing during the Mets' 4-3 extra-inning win over the Braves yesterday representing the latest example. But with Oliver Perez still MIA and the other starters still a few starts short of legitimate trends, I'm always curious about how to upgrade and strengthen the Mets' depth in the rotation.

Likewise, in Tampa Bay, it might be heresy to consider trading Scott Kazmir, the young ace who was once a shining beacon of hope for the laughingstock of the American League. However, Kazmir's fastball has steadily lost velocity, causing his strikeout rate to plummet. The budget-conscious Rays could trade him for a shutdown reliever who doesn't take up as much room in the payroll.

Let me preface this by saying: THIS IS SPECULATION. Not an actual rumor.

But what if it were? What if Kazmir, a struggling starter with top-tier stuff, becomes available? What if Kazmir would cost nothing more than a upper tier reliever, such as J.J. Putz? And what if bringing Kazmir into the fold could, at its best, potentially erase one of the bigger gaffes in Mets' transaction history?

It should be mentioned here that Kazmir's troubles this season are very real and very concerning. His basic stats are terrible (4-3, 5.92 ERA, 5.05 FIP). His K/9 ratio (7.11, down from career 9.61) and velocity are down. His BB/9 (4.97, up from career 4.17) and percentage of batters making contact (84.3%, up from career 75.1%) are too high. He could lose his spot in the rotation any day now, and the signs point to shoulder troubles which could sideline him for quite a while.

In short, that means Scott Kazmir's value has never been lower. And if the Mets were feeling crazy, I have to believe Kazmir could be had for the right price. But could you do it?

If it cost Parnell or a prime prospect, I can't see it happening. But if it cost Putz and cash? Could you still hold back?

Even the revisionist taking all of Kazmir's current troubles into account still declares the infamous Kazmir-Zambrano trade as a clear winner for the Rays. But that's in the past. We're thinking about today and tomorrow, and Kazmir could help in both regards.
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